Join us for a special afternoon celebrating the release of Narrative Threads. The event will include a Stitch In led by Joanna Barakat, followed by a book reading and signing.

In Narrative Threads, Joanna Barakat shows how Palestinian embroidery became a symbol of identity, resistance, and resilience. Featuring 24 artists, the book reimagines Tatreez across media, celebrating heritage and challenging colonial narratives. Over 200 illustrations show its relevance in contemporary art.

About the Instructor:

Joanna Barakat is a visual artist known for her mixed-media artwork combining painting and Palestinian embroidery. She also works across other mediums, such as textile, animation and digital art, to communicate transcendental ideas, challenge collective perceptions and advocate for Palestine through her self-reflective work. Her artwork has been exhibited worldwide, featured in numerous publications, and on the cover of the award-winning poetry book Umbilical Discord. She currently has work in The Lost Paintings: A Prelude to the Return exhibition at MAI in Montreal, Canada, and in SILA – All That is Left to you at the Maraya Art Centre in Sharjah, UAE. Now living in Abu Dhabi, Barakat was born in Jerusalem, raised in Los Angeles and then moved to London for university. She received her BA from Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London and her MA from SOAS, University of London. Alongside her art practice, she is dedicated to preserving and celebrating Palestinian embroidery through her workshops and on social media through The Tatreez Circle. Barakat is the author of Narrative Threads: Palestinian Embroidery in Contemporary Art (Saqi, 2025).